A Deadly Affair
by JeffC FTW
Summary: A weekend of passion turns maddening. When a happily married man makes the greatest mistake of his life, what will he do in order to protect himself and his family? Three-shot retelling of "Fatal Attraction".
1. Chapter 1

**For the first time, I bring forth a Sasuke/Karin short, with him and Sakura on the side. And this is gonna be maybe three chapters, so there will be no more. It is a short retelling of the Michael Douglas and Glenn Close erotic thriller, "Fatal Attraction". Title comes from another movie, and fic summary says it all, so please enjoy! **

**If this story doesn't seem to be your cup of tea, no one is obligated to read. Don't like, just move on. **

**Warnings: there are triggers in this first chapter, so tread carefully. **

**Disclaimer: neither Naruto or Fatal Attraction are mine. **

Chapter One

What he did was the greatest mistake he'd ever made in his life.

It had started so innocently that he should have avoided it, but as they said: men's needs were natural, yet they all came with consequences. Despite the fact he had been married for many years to a wonderful woman he'd known since childhood, had a precious daughter with her, and both of them had successful careers - and little time together with each other since Sarada was born, expected as it had been.

It began that one Friday night during autumn when the colorful leaves were majestic and the temperatures gradually becoming cooler. He and his wife of six years were attending the book signing of his best friend's guardian Jiraiya, one of the greatest bestsellers of all time - of the erotic adventure saga _Make-Out Paradise. _

Sarada would be staying the night with Uncle Itachi, his brother, while her parents enjoyed a night with just each other - though the next day, she and her mom were heading out to the countryside where her parents lived. The plan was to move out there to be close to them, and to get away from Konoha city life after all this time. Years of hard work and now with the need to relax, have peace and quiet, and still be able to come back home for everything they did best for themselves and their daughter.

He couldn't get enough of his sweet wife who was the opposite of him: her robust vivacity, her sweet and bold pink hair she loved to wear in a pixie cut, and the dripping jewels in her ears were green as her eyes which flashed with life. And her body wasn't a model's, but that didn't mean she was unattractive, either. He just looked forward to tearing that green dress patterned with printed palette roses off her form when they got home - if they weren't worn to the bone, that was.

Or...that meant waiting until the weekend was over and she got back.

He was going to miss that perfume of hers which was kissed by the sun. He didn't used to like that stuff on girls when he was a teenager, since it made him sick, but with her, it was different: _wild roses, freesia, and apricots_.

_Just going to miss being with her and the kid - because Kakashi had an emergency with his own upcoming book. _

And there was his best friend, Naruto Uzumaki, and his wife Hinata who were there. His opposite, too, who had been a hell of a goofball when they were kids, and it was like him to wear an orange and blue tie with his dark blue suit, mismatched but very fun and formal. And his wife, breezy and delicate in moonlight blue in the form of a halter with a gathering side, heart-shaped pearls in her ears and her lavender-tinted midnight hair in a bun which was draped with strands of more pearls. A kind and pleasant woman like that for his best friend - who could object? Their son, Boruto, was the same age as Sarada and was with his grandfather Hiashi for the night.

While their women went off to socialize, he and Naruto were off to the bar - and that was when he met HER.

"Oh, you're here!" Naruto said, broad-smiled. "Sasuke, I want you to meet my cousin on my mom's side...Karin Uzumaki."

Sasuke had no idea what came over him when he saw this woman for the first time, though with the tomato-red hair and matching eyes, he wasn't surprised since before the words left his friend's mouth. Though, he couldn't say entirely she was an ethereal perfection like his pink-haired wife and Hinata, or the late Kushina Uzumaki, but he admitted this one was different in a way. Didn't mean she was hideous, either.

Sakura was thin with small, firm curves, though he could see this one was a bit fuller in the waist. The off-shouldered amethyst velvet accentuated those lines nicely, and there was a leg revealed in a slit on the right side. Her skin was fair, though her cheeks might be blushing a little to match Sakura's hair. Her fiery hair was loose and split at the ends, which was something he'd never seen before that he could recall.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Miss Uzumaki."

It seemed formalities weren't her favorite. "You don't have to use my last name, you know," she said, shaking his hand. "But glad I got to finally meeting you, since my dear cousin -" Her burning eyes flicked over to Naruto. "- kept babbling about you." Then her thin lips twitched upward into a smirk on both sides.

_Is it my imagination, or is she..._flirting _with me?_

Sasuke thought nothing of it, since women still did it to him even today, but he took it as nothing serious, so he assumed this one couldn't be any different. But then, as he found himself sitting right next to her as Naruto was on his other - he was sandwiched between them - he caught a whiff of her _perfume: a sweet aroma of apples, musk and gardenia...oh, God, it's seductive and forbidden. Like the fruit in the Bible. _

It caused an unwilling stir in a certain part of his body. He managed to shove it down. "What's your profession, Karin?" he asked, hoping to distract himself from this sensation he hoped was just brief.

"I'm an editor for Konoha's Publishers. I started there three weeks ago. My mum died some months ago, so I came here from Kusa."

She was an editor, and she must be damned good at her job despite her looks. At the very same publishing company which was where he and Naruto did their legal work. _And she's new here, but she's Naruto's cousin. _He found himself wanting to know more, but then the order of champagne came for him and Naruto. "Forgive us, but we got our women waiting for us," Naruto told her, to which she waved off with a single finger that wrapped around her glass of red wine which slid right in front of her. She looked over her shoulder, bringing it to her lips, and displayed a cluster of white crystals which sparkled around the middle finger of her right hand.

"Oh, yeah, you boys better run along to your wives. Maybe I'll see you around more...Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto made a noise through his teeth but said nothing. Sasuke, on the other hand, felt his brows furrow, more baffled. "What was that about?" he asked his friend when they were away.

"Oh, nothing." The blond snorted. "That's just how she is, but take it from me: she is still going through a hard time, so watch out if you think about crossing paths with her. I helped her out because she's family, despite some...problems."

And when you heard words like that, he decided he could handle it. Just as he eventually overcame his parents' divorce three years ago. Just as he dealt with his elder brother being better than him, but he pulled himself up along with the help of friends and the woman he loved...

...except he had no idea how wrong he would be this time.

He failed to notice that her eyes had been on him even as he left with Sakura that night.

~o~

Sasuke ended up seeing her again the next day, when he went into the office to handle Kakashi's case.

Their new house was getting ready to be looked at, and that would also mean Sakura's parents would be waiting for them and end up spoiling their granddaughter like they always would. They would have ended up staying the night, but sadly, he would be missing it. _At least Sarada deserves to have some fun, and Sakura finally gets a break from work._

He saw his girls off that morning before he went off to the office where not only Kakashi was present, but so were Tenten who was doing the recording of what was going on in the room, and of course intern Konohamaru Sarutobi - but his uncle who was one of their best editors wasn't present. "Karin Uzumaki is going to fill in for Asuma," Kakashi told them, the excuse being that he was hospitalized for having a near attack AGAIN from smoking too much. No doubt his wife would chew him up for that if he made it through...

But then Sasuke heard the name of the one who would fill in today: _Karin Uzumaki. _

And then she arrived moments later, apologizing for being late. When he looked up and saw her, his attention worked against him as he took in the purple turtleneck, black penciled skirt and knee-length heeled boots. In her ears dripped pearls within golden fronds, setting off a flare.

When their eyes locked, her red ones flashed as she recognized him. How could she not when they had only met last night?

Introductions - or should he say second meeting? - out of the way, it was onward to business. Kakashi had wanted to publish a new novel in which one of the characters was a representative from Iwa who was fooling around, but the issue was that the Prime Minister of Kumo learned of the resemblance between the character and himself, so filed the complaints and threatened to sue. Thing was that Hatake's defense was the character was all the way bald and the accuser wasn't, and they were from different nations. All of which was good and fine with Sasuke Uchiha, but if he had to go to court to prove his old friend's means, he had to know the truth:

"Did the author have an affair with the Prime Minister or not?"

There was a long silence before it was broken by an unlikely one and not Kakashi. "...she did," Karin answered, irises twinkling as she smirked to one side. "But she also slept with several other politicians. Any one of them could make the same claims. She _swears_ this character is fictitious; I'd spoken to her myself over the phone."

"And you believe her?" Sasuke had to ask, inclined to believe her when she affirmed it, and she answered it without two heartbeats.

He almost tuned out the rest of the conversation about the proceedings when he picked up his coffee cup, not noticing there was still a little bit on his nose by mistake, until _Karin _pointed it out with her finger and he wiped it off with his thumb, embarrassed.

When he was done with his meeting, he had the rest of the day off and had decided to go on home, but it was by then that the rain had begun; it was so harsh that he would have gotten soaked because of his damned umbrella arguing with him...

...when his unexpected savior arrived with HER own to help him, and they took a cab together to make way for the nearest diner for lunch - which was none other than Karin Uzumaki, his best friend's cousin who had time on her hands, as well. What was the worst that could happen?

~o~

A grown man would have known better, but _no_, he had to listen to his little head and not the big head just because his wife and child were gone, his meeting over, and he had nothing better to do all weekend.

He and Karin started out with nothing more than a trip to the booth, where they got to talking about each other, though she listened more to him than chatted about herself, which was something he never personally knew about a woman in his life. Females generally chatted more about themselves or gossiped, but not her. Sakura used to gossip a lot worse when they were younger, though it decreased as they got older.

He told Karin about the time his parents were finally divorcing, and his mom asked HIM to represent her; the only way he had to get out of it was a simple technicality: he didn't practice family law, which was Naruto's specialty. You could guess who had to fill in his shoes against Fugaku.

Part of Sasuke had been glad his mother finally had it in her to leave his dad, because he could hardly recall a time when the man was the same way Naruto's father was to his wife and son. That was one of the things Sasuke Uchiha had once been jealous of his own friend over, when it was not something either of them could control.

"The funny thing about being a lawyer is it's like being a doctor, only you're telling your innermost secrets." _Whereas doctors keep confidentiality on their patients, especially from fellow physicians. Requires all that hard work to prevent the wrong move, resulting in a breach._

Karin nodded. "Means being discreet...and does that mean _you _are?" she asked, and it wasn't the question itself that made him halt, but the tone she used.

It sounded almost like a mild tease. Discreet meant secretive, ensuring no one else knew, and it was true, so he wasn't lying when he answered. She really continued to surprise him.

"Me too."

She really was something; if he didn't know any better, he would say that men must throw themselves at her if she was this honest and interesting. He found himself wanting to know more about Karin, since she did mention a mother who died before she came out here, but he didn't get to ask her more when she asked him the question: "Where is your wife?"

"Where is my _wife?_" he repeated, a bit taken aback by the boldness, before answering anyway, thinking no harm could be done. "She and our daughter are in the country with her parents. I wanted to go with them, but this emergency prevented me."

Her fiery eyes were glittering again, and one corner of her mouth twitched. "And you're here with a strange girl, being a naughty boy."

It would seem that she was implying he was THAT kind of man - the successful careerist who thought to have fun while his wife was away, because here was an opportunity in front of him, and it was now or never...though part of his brain was saying that he would do best to resist the temptation, because he had a wife who loved him, a child he had with her who looked up to them both.

"You're referring to us having lunch together? There's nothing wrong with it, Karin."

"Not yet."

He should be able to resist the unspoken invitation, but somehow, he couldn't. She was bold, though with a somewhat masculine and shameless approach - in complete control. Somewhat of something fresh and exciting for a change...but he reminded himself this was his best friend's cousin, once again. And that she'd been through difficulties in her life.

_I think maybe I can try to help her out, somehow. I think that's something I can handle. If anything, Sakura and Naruto showed me how to, just by being the wonderful people they are._

"Sasuke Uchiha, maybe we should just cut to the chase: we were attracted to each other at the party. That was obvious enough. And here you are, with nothing left to do for the weekend, and neither do I. It's obvious that we are both adults..."

The sparks had flown as the tension became too much. Sasuke found himself saying the words, unsure if it was him or his inner self that wasn't going to hold back any longer.

"Let's get the check."

~o~

Rather than go right to his home - the home he had with his family - he followed the mysterious redhead back to her flat. The rain was still pouring, though it wasn't as hard as before.

Her apartment was plain and simple, yet very refreshing. There were _shoji_ screens as doors and windows, rattan tables and natural-hued chairs - and a shocking piece of art on one wall he NEVER thought he would see. His father once owned a copy, which his mother had long put up with until the divorce.

_The wife of a fisherman getting molested by octopus tentacles...very nice. I never thought I'd see that again of all times, and who would have thought this woman owned it?_

This woman who tantalized him all the way and now leaped at him at the same time he did to her, as soon as the door to the apartment was locked, his work bag and her handbag dropped to the floor, shoes left near the entrance, and now the tension burst.

Her lips tasted like juicy pineapple, along with coconut cream - the kind that melted in your mouth. She moaned salaciously with him, latching onto him and desperately craving the friction, rushing to get her skirt and underwear off - _lilac lace, I'll be damned! _\- while he hurried to unbuckle his pants and push them down with his briefs so that they'd pool around his ankles.

They took it to the kitchen of all places, unable to wait any longer. She had some dishes in the sink she still needed to clean, but it didn't matter to either of them. In fact, Sasuke found it very exciting to take this somewhere besides the bed alone.

_But we're gonna need the bed eventually. _

Her naked rear end was plopped on the counter of the sink, and it was there that he found himself seated right between her legs. He had no trouble getting situated in that special place, consisting of the two fleshy folds cradling the overtly sensitized red bud - he suspected she wasn't a virgin, based on her not giving him the warning, as well as her moans of pleasure rather than pain, and since he'd had Sakura as a maiden - and the overall picture made him think of the calla lily with the protruding core. And when she tore off her blouse and bra, he noted how her breasts were so small that they both fit in his palms, and were so tender.

She was so hot and slick, and so taut that he thought he was going to be torn apart - but what came was the hottest catapult to paradise he ever recalled having in his life. And it had been too damned long since -!

He was so lost he didn't hear the faucet water being turned on, and in midst of toying around with her breasts, using his tongue and lips, he was greeted with hot, sweet water that she wiped across his face; he ended up suckling her fingers and wanted MORE.

Water leaked its way onto her breasts, prompting him to give more lascivious attention, but the intensity of her taut sex around his reminded him that they had to hurry and finish up in bed, to which he nearly stumbled over in the process as he picked her up by the ass and hips to carry them both out and through the opened doorway behind at northwest.

Sasuke forgot about his mobile phone on the kitchen counter, knowing it was on vibration...and missed that his wife had tried calling him.

"Oh...God," were his words when their two passionate rounds were over, and they were now cuddling while drenched in sweat. Karin spooned up against him, pushing her tomato-colored hair behind her to rasp against his shoulder.

"Are you feeling...energized?"

By energized, she referred to a trip to the club down the street, and after the shameless saucy dances, they ended up having another round in the elevator as they returned to her place - at risk of discovery, when she gave him the blowjob of the lifetime.

~o~

What had begun as a quick work meeting had turned into a Saturday of lust and fun that he never thought he'd experience.

What had been lust and fun had ended in becoming a confusing nightmare.

He ended up staying the night with Karin, but then he had to leave the next morning before she woke. He hoped she understood he had to get back home before his wife and daughter returned - which was why he left her that note, telling her the reason - though just as he was getting into his car, dressed up but needing to have a shower as soon as he was home, he checked his voice messages and felt his heart jump against his sternum when he saw his pinkette's name in two missed calls and one voicemail.

_"Hey, you busy bird. Guess you and Naruto - or anyone else from work - found something to do, so I'm going to go to bed now, and Sarada's been put down, so call in the morning. Love you!"_

Sasuke was certain he felt the tug of _guilt _at his heartstrings, for different reasons: first, because his loving wife of many years had no idea what he'd just done, and he could only hope it would stay that way. _I mean, Karin said we were adults, and that we could handle this. Maybe what we did helped her get through more of her problems. It's not like this is much of a big deal, as long as you aren't caught in the act. _

Which brought him to the second reason: what would Naruto say to him if he ever found out?

After a long, hot shower - and the scent of his onetime lover off of him - he called Sakura back, and she told him the house wasn't ready to be seen until tomorrow; that meant Sarada would miss only one day of school, given she was only six and wouldn't miss anything major in mathematics. It wasn't like she wasn't smart enough at her age. Even better than he, her dad, and her Uncle Itachi had been at that age.

Her mom had to drop the bomb on him: Sarada wanted a _bunny rabbit._ He couldn't believe that their little girl wanted a pet at her age. Someone was going to have to take care of the thing IF he agreed.

After that call, he got another from the least likely person he expected to hear. "Karin?!"

_"Hi, nice to hear from you. Naruto gave me your number. I woke up and you weren't here; I was worried."_

Her voice sounded ragged as if she'd just woken up. She went on to say she thought they could spend the day together - after he told her his wife was not gonna be back until tomorrow, against his better judgment - and she could cook lunch, since that was one of her specialties. She just didn't know when to give up, did she?

Sasuke supposed he couldn't refuse, but this was the last day, he promised.

Turned out that Karin made such an excellent pasta with miso, and the best sake she had brought home from Kusa for special occasions - "I thought this was an occasion," she said lightly as she was opening it. "Mum used to get this all the time...until she died of a heart attack."

He couldn't help but feel sorry for her, even more when she went on to say that her father took off before she was born. The music she was playing in the background heightened it - and he recognized it as _Madame Butterfly. _It took him back to the first time he saw it with his father and brother, which was one of the few times Fugaku had been generous to both Itachi AND him. And it scared the daylights out of Sasuke when he saw the climax in which the Japanese woman killed herself just as her deadbeat American soldier husband returned to her upon realizing his mistake.

He had nightmares for weeks after that, and his father had comforted him after the show, but then the rest was up to his brother who handled it much better than him.

Karin's meal was exquisite; he couldn't even compare it to his wife's hands. He told her more about Sakura and their daughter.

The pleasant mood was eventually intruded when she asked him why the interesting guys were always married. He thought maybe it was because they were so interesting that she wanted them and couldn't have them...which should have sparked the bell tolling. This told him she hadn't been lucky to get the man she deserved, because she struggled all her life with the social circle, and wondered if she really had a place.

"I think you're terrific...but I'm married," was Sasuke's answer to her, and it made him sadder than he was. But maybe, they could just be friends after this, work it out.

Unfortunately, he would learn it the hard way after the last round they had after this fantastic meal and listening to the opera they both loved.

"I don't...I don't think I like this. You running off after every time we make love." Karin said this as she was laying back down, the blankets down to reveal her breasts, the red nipples still hard but softening. Sasuke stared hard at her as he worked on getting dressed again.

"Karin, I'm sorry you feel that way, but I just don't think it's possible. You knew about me; I didn't hide anything from you. I thought we understood each other since we're both adults."

Instantly, the mood shifted to stifling nasty with her tone and the look on her face. She didn't even try to cover herself up as she spat back, "Oh, don't try to justify yourself as pathetic. What's this now? 'Thank you, but goodbye. Don't call me; I'll call you?' I know what this is about: you thought you'd have a good time and didn't stop for one second to think about how _I _felt."

She was trying to vilify him, but he wasn't going to let it go that far, though part of him did agree. He tried to placate anyway. "Look, I DID think about you, and I felt sorry for you that I thought I could help you this way. And if there had been no one else, it would be you and me. But I do have someone else. I really do like you."

He thought he got through to her, but she sniffed and rolled over onto her back, giving him the silent treatment like a child. Sighing, Sasuke decided they weren't going to get anywhere. He stood up and finished buttoning his shirt. He really needed another drink as soon as he got home - but before he could reach the apartment door, he heard her small voice call out to him.

"Sasuke...I'm sorry. Please don't hate me. Let's be friends and say goodbye nicely..."

And then there was a thump, which told him she must have stumbled or fallen. Instinct told him something was wrong, and he rushed back to her room, where he saw her form laying entangled in the sheets, but that wasn't all, and he wasn't sure if he was screaming.

Both of her wrists had been _slit_, the blood slowly pouring out in copious amounts that he freaked out and rushed her to the sink, her sobs hysterical as he tried to close this case of attempted suicide which he knew had been trying to make him feel guilty.

**The art in Karin's home - "The Fisherman's Wife" - is a well-known **_**shunga**_** painting, which is an early form of erotic artworks. **

**If anybody ever saw "Fatal Attraction", then I don't expect anyone to REALLY feel bad for Sasuke, since that great film's male lead (Michael Douglas) really f-ed up big time, and even though Glenn Close's character was mentally unstable, it's hard to not feel sorry for her. :(**

**Reviews are appreciated, nicely detailed, and NO FLAMES. **


	2. Chapter 2

**I NEVER expected this story to get so much love and interest. I'm having happy tears it's not funny. **

**I never did a cheating story before, not in Naruto anyway, but once for Re-Animator. Circumstances in that story were different, however. If anyone who likes the Re-Animator movies is wondering, the fic was "The Dark Heart of Life". **

Chapter Two

Sasuke really tried to get back to normal, now that Karin had been doing better since that episode in her apartment. He had heard the red alarms going off, but he'd ignored them and thought it would blow over.

Yet...he couldn't find it in himself to tell Naruto what had happened. He remembered the blond's words of warning, about the fact his cousin had been through such hard times and had to come out here.

In his mind, he was going to look into Karin Uzumaki in the future. Very nearly.

When he was finally at home, he couldn't help but feel...hollow. Because of a wild ruckus of a weekend which ended on a bloody and tense note. Tense being an understatement. _She _was coming home, but not until this afternoon. She said in the call he answered yesterday in the evening that the house was fantastic, and that it was everything they could ever ask for.

He set about getting the apartment in the way it had to be, to appear as if he'd been here all weekend rather than somewhere else. He'd laid in the bed and then rolled about in it, getting out and rushing to the kitchen for what Sakura had told him was made for him if he got hungry: tomato bisque with rice balls. He decided to take that to work with him for lunch, so that Sakura didn't ask questions.

_Why am I living like this? Why do I feel so guilty? This was one time, and it should be healed and forgotten with time. I mean, she did promise she would go to the doctor and get her injuries healed. She will recover eventually. I just hope she doesn't tell Naruto..._

But when the day was over, his pink-haired beauty came to surprise him with a pickup - taking a cab, first - and Sarada was with her. They wanted to "pick Daddy up", which made him beyond happy. His heart was uplifted, knowing that he was going to get through this. Everything was going to be all right again.

Of course, he had to endure the child pleading with him, using the dreaded "R" word.

And as for his cherry blossom, she had to say that if he missed her THAT much - which he did, after inhaling her sweet scent which was innocent and subtle, unlike the other's - then she ought to go away more often. Maybe he could settle on whacking off in the future, thinking only about her.

That night, he couldn't get enough of her in her icy green slip which had an illusion at the sides, showing off her hips and thighs, and highlighting her heavenly beauty. He thought about getting into bed with her, but decided it didn't matter, and not because he wasn't in the mood. You didn't need the deed to prove your love for each other.

He should have known that this was far from over.

Maybe two days later, he was approached in his office by _Karin,_ who came to apologize to him and said she suffered difficult times - after a bad breakup a year ago - and was going to work hard in getting better again. Then, with sad, glazing eyes, she offered him two tickets to the _Madame Butterfly _opera in a couple weeks as a peace offering.

_I think there may be hope, after all. Just hope I'm not jinxing this. _

Eventually, they embraced, and she left his office, which was perfect timing for him to go to the next firm meeting which would be regarding a celebratory event of the firm's anniversary, and that would mean them gathering with their wives and children - even those without - at the local bowling alley.

~o~

Autumn was drawing to an end, weeks passing into over a month now.

He officially called it the biggest mistake of his life, and he really thought he could handle it. He had misled her and tried apologizing, but it didn't seem to be enough.

Karin just wouldn't give up. She kept calling his personal number - until he blocked her - and the office, so he had to tell his secretary Ino, who was Sakura's best friend from childhood, to inform Karin he "wasn't here". Even that didn't stop her.

Finally, he had enough and decided to accept meeting Karin in person one day, shouting at her to stop harassing him, that everything was over, and demanding to know why she was trying to hurt him like this - only to get a plea that it wasn't like that, but it was _love_.

"You don't even know me. You need professional help - a _shrink_."

The words were out without much thinking, and he should have known that would be another triggering point. She shot back that she was perfectly all right, and then dropped another bomb on him. "I'm pregnant."

When she knew he had a whole relationship - but if it WERE whole, complete, why had he been with her? - and now she was telling him she was...! "I saw my doctor on Monday. This is his card so you can call him." Karin handed him said card, but his fingers were trembling a little. It was a miracle he managed to shove it into his pocket. The autumn air had gotten so much colder.

"You don't...use anything?" He had to take it carefully and not jump to any conclusions, so he started with referring to any kind of protection, like birth control. She shook her head no.

"I had a bad miscarriage last year. I didn't think it was possible again. I dreamed of having a family." Her eyes were glazing with tears that didn't fall. "And I know it's yours, because I don't sleep around."

Sasuke really didn't think this could get any worse. He had a weekend fling with his best friend's cousin whom he didn't even know, whom he tried to reason with, and now _this. _For a second, he considered asking her if she wanted an abortion, because he was more than willing to pay for it, but she said that she didn't think it was possible to have a baby again after her last...and that bit of information made him decide he would finally check out her background after today.

And just as he predicted, she wanted to have the baby - _their _baby. "I want this child; you don't have to even marry me. It won't have anything to do with you. This could be my last chance, even though I'm not yet thirty. I want it whether you're gonna be a part of it or not."

His temper was snapping now; he had no say in ANY of this. "Then why are you telling me this?" Sasuke almost shouted. They were in a public park on an early Thursday morning, because this was what she wanted, away from their worlds where people on both their sides could find out, along with those connected to those closest personally.

"Because...I was hoping you'd _want_ to be a part of the baby's life." Her voice was small, cracking, as if threatening to choke again.

"Karin, this is _insane. _Do you realize that this is going to be with us for the rest of our lives?"

"But it doesn't HAVE to be a problem. You play fair with me, I play fair with you."

~o~

So, he looked her up on various sources, and what he found in Kusa was a shocker, which had to do with her police record which had all but been kept closed from Konoha records.

_Aggravated assault with a motor vehicle...involving an ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. A jealous dispute. _

Sasuke heard himself gulp as he swallowed hard, having an idea that Naruto did know about this, and wished he had listened to his friend. _But maybe it's not too late; I can go to him, even if I risk the lecture of a lifetime from him. I deserve it, after all. _

_Better him than Sakura finding out. _

On further note, he learned her mother - Nobuko Uzumaki, who had never married and thus lived with an only child, a daughter - had passed on after a heart attack, following years of shame taking a toll on her and her daughter. He could imagine how that had affected Karin, who came out here, as she and Naruto said. Her mother was Kushina Uzumaki's cousin, but the two were never close. Though he believed Naruto helped as much as he could out of the kindness of his heart.

The assault on the ex-boyfriend had taken place some months before she'd moved out here to Konoha. He assumed that she'd been pregnant by him, and suffered a miscarriage after the events.

On paper, she was a rock star in terms of her editorial career.

With all of this, he finally confessed to Naruto in privacy, while they were in the archives of the firm office. And as expected, his friend shook his head.

"Boy, idiot, you really dug yourself in. And I -"

Sasuke had to interrupt him. "Yeah, I know what you're going to say, and I deserved it. I royally screwed up. I wish I could go back in time to change it." _But she was so interesting, fresh and exciting, and that's what men have weaknesses for. _And the blond knew that as much as him.

He went on to mention how he called Karin's doctor, and that the man had said congratulations. "I mean, I can't imagine what she told him," he said, exhaling sharply. His lungs were constricting slowly with each second. "And I also found out about her...mother and the boyfriend before. I never even thought..." He stopped talking altogether. "And all my life, I thought everything through. This is the first real one I made."

Naruto didn't disagree with him on that, but he didn't say anything yet.

"I also thought this kid wasn't mine, but I think she was serious, after all. So, Naruto, I resent myself both for doing this to me, her, my family, and you. Since you warned me about her, and I thought I could deal with it. But you gotta help me now since you're my friend. You know I don't know anything about family law, so I need to know what kind of...case I'll be dealing with." And he got an exhale of breath as well as the most obvious answer of all.

"Well, jerk, it ain't good, I'll tell you that. And since I'm in on this now, you should let me deal with my cousin first. You also got bigger problems before this will escalate."

Sasuke nodded, gritting his teeth. _Sakura. I should have taken the facts seriously when the bells were ringing. Never in a million years did I think I would do this to her, to our family. I need to come clean sooner or later, but I don't know how. She'll hate me and never forgive me if she finds out when I never told her. _

He voiced these thoughts before going on. "She kept calling my office, and Ino tells her I am not there. She also called my number, but I blocked her. I'm scared; I never thought I would admit this to you or myself," Sasuke confessed. "What am I going to do, Naruto? I don't want to lose my family."

~o~

Naruto promised he would handle her, but no idea when, and sometime this week. He could only pray that it would end better with the cousin and friend coming in the middle...

...but he could not stop thinking about the police record and fearing for his life and his family's.

His fears intensified when he came home to the greatest horror, depriving him of his opportunity to tell Sakura - no matter how threatening it was - and thank the gods Sarada was here, half of him thought. Because then she wouldn't have to witness the explosion that didn't involve her.

Sakura was home - his breath was taken away by her in the blushing peasant blouse and pearl-studded jeans, different from the scrubs she wore at the hospital - and talking to a visitor on their sofa..._Karin._

First, he saw the red hair, and of course she was in purple and black again. Eyelet sweater and dark jeans, but to him, it was just a representation of the royal mistake he committed. Her eyes lit up when they saw him, but behind the forced smile, he was certain that she had a card up her sleeve. And it appeared that Sakura didn't know anything - yet - but a cover-up as to why this "strange" woman was here.

"Honey, this is Karin. She told me she is Naruto's cousin; isn't that amazing?" Sakura gushed. "She says you two met before, at the party for old man Jiraiya."

"Um...oh, yes." He had to pretend if SHE was going to. "You have quite the memory. I must have forgotten."

His lie seemed to infuriate her, but she didn't burst. He was close to doing that when his wife announced that Karin was looking to rent this apartment as soon as they were out of here - and that meant she was aware they were moving to the country, which set him aflame. This was going farther than it already was.

"She's also going to have a baby. I wonder if the father is in its life...she never said anything about a father," Sakura said musingly when the intruder in their lives was gone. He only hummed, wordlessly agreeing with her.

_Enough is more than enough. _

When night fell, after dinner, he told Sakura that he had to go out and pick up a bottle of wine for them both, since it was Friday night. She was all too happy to say yes, even if it were last minute.

He got both the wine and a beautiful necklace for her - his answer being no real reason, except because he wanted to - which was a romantic enameled pendant featuring a portrait of a trio of white lotuses against a red background, based with a blue sapphire, but it ended with him saving the visit to Karin's place for last...and it exploded when he lost his temper with her, after her attempt to be nice first and offer him a drink, when she knew damned well that playing games wasn't going to work on him.

"Is this how it's gonna be?!" Sasuke shouted, uncaring if any neighbors would hear. She scowled at him, gripping the sides of the silky-looking lavender negligee she was wearing, making her appear vulnerable. He ignored it altogether. "I know don't what you're up to, but I am gonna tell you that it will stop right. Now."

"No, it's not going to. It's going to go on and on until you face up to your responsibility."

"What responsibility?!" he bellowed.

Her answer was calm and collected. "I'm pregnant, remember? With _your _child." _Oh, you just -!_

He hissed. "Karin, that was your choice; it had nothing to do with me. You want to be a part of my life, and this is how you do it: show up at MY apartment, where my wife and daughter are!"

"What did you expect me to do?" Karin shouted back. "You blocked me, your secretary tells me you're not there - you think I'm just gonna be ignored, Sasuke? You think I'm just gonna let that weekend go just like that? What I never recalled feeling for another man?" _You mean the man you assaulted after he left you; I can understand why he would. _"Why can't you feel it, too? Why should you be so afraid?" She was moving up to him now, and rubbing her body against his, but he managed to push her off, hoping he didn't bruise her. Last thing he needed was being accused of battery.

"Karin, don't flatter yourself."

She lifted her chin at him, smirking to one corner of her mouth. "Well, then, if you don't want me, then just hit me."

She was just so sad and alone, was she? If she had gotten the help she needed, this wouldn't be happening. And when he told her this, she snarled at him, raising her hand and striking him hard across the cheek. "Don't you EVER pity me, you bastard. Just like you had no right to treat me like some slut you can just bang a couple times before throwing in the garbage. I'm going to be the mother of your child. I want more respect than this."

Respect that she hadn't even earned. He already had a mother of his child, and she didn't even EARN it. She didn't even cling on him or hunt him down the way this one did. "Respect," he spat, turning on his heel and more than ready to go home to his family.

"No, wait! Sasuke, I didn't mean it like that!" She rushed after him and caught up to him at the side just as he was a few feet close to the door. "I'll tell your wife -"

He snapped then and there, turning around and pinning her to the wall next to the door. He had his hand on her throat, against his better senses, but with no intentions of strangling her, and he certainly didn't plan on killing the child. He was anything but a murderer, but she was pushing him past his limits.

"You tell my wife, I'll kill you," he seethed, releasing her, and she was sliding to the floor just as he was opening the door, but she began to scramble to her feet, screeching like an Irish banshee.

"IT ONLY TAKES A PHONE CALL, YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE!"

He heard her good and well, and just as he was out heading for the elevator, he heard her screaming and the throwing and smashing of an object, telling him she'd destroyed her own mobile in desperate jealousy and rage.

~o~

You'd think threatening to kill her would do the trick.

_Sasuke Uchiha, you need to finally do something, tell your wife. _

They were at last leaving this apartment before Karin could try again; he wasn't taking any more chances with being here in the city. He also had to explain the situation to Naruto, who shook his head and muttered that perhaps he could call a psychologist for help, little good that might be because of how far gone his cousin must be.

"You'd better get your family away," his friend told him, which he was more than happy to agree with.

And so, they were out of Konoha in no time, within the week, and he had to say that he loved the look of the place. It had two levels, traditional aspects as well as modern western comfort. The staircase spiraled north and south. The trees offered privacy from the outside world, yet also would hide intruders; he tried not to think about it. _I really hope Sakura didn't give HER our new address._ He distracted himself with knowing that Sarada would have a backyard to run around and play in - along with her new pet he decided he would surprise her with, after finally making the decision to her mother who was overjoyed and told him he was the best daddy and husband in the world.

He was so happy to hear those words, but also eaten away with the worm of regret.

When he got the cute little thing, Ino had it - no, _her_ \- waiting in a cage, being fluffy and black-and-white with a pink nose and light blue eyes. Sarada was going to be in love.

Ino also passed him a small packet on the way out when the day was over, saying that there was no name or an address, but that it was for him. It was then that a cold feeling washed over him, erasing all sense of enlightenment that involved his daughter's new pet waiting to be taken to her new home. And it increased as soon as he heard the insane alarm blaring which was a sound he was familiar with - and he swore to the high heavens as well as slapped on an untouched surface with a fury by the time he was outside.

His car had been trashed - _burned with acid on the hood. _

**In terms of Karin's past record of violence when Sasuke looked into her, it was based off of the real life stalking case of Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones. She was Glenn Close incarnate, talked in her letters about cutting up Zeta-Jones and feeding her parts to her dog, and other over-the-top threats. The most serious of crimes in her past before this was "aggravated battery with a motor vehicle, against an ex and his new girlfriend". She was eventually sentenced three years probation and almost a year in prison. No word on today. **

**Karin's mother is named after Japanese actress Nobuko Otowa, who was in a few movies from the 50s and the 60s I know of: Genji Monogatari (1951), Onibaba (1964) and Kuroneko (1968). She was the wife of renowned director Kaneto Shindo, who directed the latter two films, and was a regular in several others of his. **

**Reviews are still appreciated, and thanks so much for this surprising support. :D And at first I had been wary about this story. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Accept my apologies for keeping you all waiting. A lot happened in the last couple weeks, put up the next chapter of a current ItaSaku fic, "An Offer She Can't Refuse" - and watching the new "Child's Play" for the first time. Such a brilliant, exciting remake of a horror classic involving a doll that came to life.**

**Oh, yeah, and if anyone is interested, I put up a new oneshot called "Child of the Tree", which is an early Halloween treat, and is a what-if scenario, had Naruto and co. been bested by Kaguya (though we all know failure really is NOT an option for them) and their comrades and loved ones become an army of White Zetsu. I was inspired by "White Zetsu Metamorphosis" by LightSeeker01, and it feels like it fits in that universe while also being all mine. It's in the POV of a character I created personally, though she truly belongs to a best friend of mine. **

**I also was trying to figure out how to end it, and I came up with a compromise that I just hope satisfies everyone. One side wanted abandonment and leaving Sasuke to live with his mistakes, learning his lessons, and to have utter forgiveness in the end. Just hope I managed to make EVERYONE happy. **

**Here is the final chapter, so enjoy and then review afterwards. **

Chapter Three

_That blasted...crazy...BITCH!_

He had to call Sakura and tell her he was going to be late, telling her a lie that it was the electrical surge which caused the hood's system to blow up. In his mind, he suspected that Karin really did intend to go far enough to do this, which meant he would have to talk to a certain someone besides Naruto again.

He had to call the car company to give him a hand, and when they arrived, he was told the replacements would have to take a couple weeks or less, and that meant he would have to phone the one he needed to speak to - and the reaction was what he anticipated.

_"Oh, Sasuke, and I had thought you'd be better than Father was." Because Dad cheating on her was the main reason she decided to finally leave after her sons were adults. _

"Itachi, don't lecture me. I know what I did, and I never thought it would happen, either. But it DID," he said as he sat against the car's side while the mechanics waited for his word. The little rabbit was still in her cage, hopping around and a little nervous about their steaming, mechanical environment. "But I need your help now. She sent acid on the hood of my car, and I got to tell Sakura, but Sarada needs her gift and can't hear what her mom will surely scream."

There was the cluck of a tongue on the other end. _"Which is precisely what you need, foolish brother. You thought you could get off easy, unlike our father. I wouldn't be surprised if she kicks you out, and you'd have to stay with me until all of this is settled. If Karin Uzumaki is as unstable as you told me, then I'll have to have my team check out more on her. My partner and I are on the way to your spot right now."_

His elder brother was one of the best of the Konoha Police Department, and it meant they would get Karin for what she did in no time at all - but not without proof. That meant they would have to get the outdoor surveillance cameras, and examine the car's damage...

...but that also left the tape in Sasuke's hand. He had to play it privately in his personal player, headphones plugged in, as soon as he was at home alone.

"Tomorrow, you're coming to the station to give your report, and Naruto will be there, too, since he's the only living family she has," Itachi told him after everything, driving him home and out of the town. The atmosphere between them was tense, and then it lightened up when his brother gave a soft smile at the little creature in the cage, sitting in the center backseat. "I have no doubt my niece will love her."

And this was how it always was: they got along only when it had to do with Sarada. Sasuke said nothing to that, and Itachi didn't, either. Because they both knew the child would never let her new friend out of her sights.

Sakura was waiting for him at the front door, and when she saw the black-and-white treasure, her eyes widened like a doe's, and she threw her arms around him, breathlessly telling him that he'd better bring it in while the fireplace was burning. It was a Friday night when a warm meal before the fire would become a new family tradition, and tomorrow, her parents would come by for their weekly weekend visit.

That meant he had to wait until her parents were gone, and when he told this to Itachi, he received another berate.

"My door will be open for you if she tosses you out, but I'm personally wondering how you will be able to live with yourself. Just pray this girl doesn't attack your family."

And here he was in his study, Sarada playing with her new bunny who was now named Miko. His wife was quietly reading one of her medical textbooks.

While he listened to the sneering and stifling sobbing of the deranged woman.

_"Sasuke...are you surprised? This is what YOU reduced me to. I guess you thought you'd get away with it. Well, you can't. Because part of you is growing inside of me, and that's a fact, Sasuke. You better start learning how to deal with it. Because I feel you, I TASTE you, I think of you. I can still touch you if not with my hands; can't you understand that? I just...want you to acknowledge your responsibilities. Is that so bad? I don't think so." _There was a choking laugh._ "And another thing, too: you thought you could just walk into my life and turn it upside down without a thought for anyone but yourself."_

And then it got more aggressive and desperate.

_"You disgusting, selfish son of a bitch. You really destroyed my life, so I _hate_ you, and you deserve everything you get. You ruined my one last chance to have a happy, normal life after everything I'd been through. Naruto, my cousin, was there, but he didn't really care about me. He took pity on me, that was all. I thought you were the only one person in the world who would LOVE me -"_

And that was it; Sasuke had to shut it off at once. He heard more than enough and was sure all she would do by the end was rant and rant. He squeezed his eyes shut.

The weekend passed without any issue, but after Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno were gone as Saturday ended, he told Sakura and Sarada that he would be out for a little while, stating that he just had some late papers to return, and pick up some takeout.

Sunday afternoon was the day when it finally came. He braced himself for the worst, what Itachi and Naruto warned him about.

"Sakura, I need to tell you something," he said, after making sure that Sarada was in her room with her new rabbit.

~o~

_"Daddy...when are you coming home?"_

He had no idea; he just didn't know.

You could imagine where he was now, and that was in his brother's apartment. He wasn't kicked out, but he chose to leave on his own. She made it loud and clear that she needed him out of her sight, out of her life, until she said so, and then they would talk about what to do.

_"What is wrong with you - what is WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU BASTARD SON OF A BITCH! DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!"_

Her screams had gotten the attention of their young daughter who had her rabbit back in its cage, and she was crying, covering her eyes with her hands. He had to rush over to her and hold her in his arms, shushing her and assuring her that everything was all right...but it was far from all right.

He'd told Sakura about Karin. About their weekend affair. About the baby. And about her stalking him until she finally set his car afire with acid.

She'd cried when she asked him if he loved the deranged redhead, and he honestly said no. But he regretted everything and was going to make it right, even if she didn't want him in their house. He was going to suffer the consequences this way, but before he left, he called the sick woman only for Sakura to take the phone and snarl into it.

"This is Sakura Uchiha, you sick bitch. If you ever come near my family again, I'll kill you myself. Do you understand?" Those were her words.

Sasuke wasted no time packing his bag, but before he left, Sarada ran up to him with Miko in her arms, and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from crying. She asked him the words: when was he coming home?

He had absolutely no idea.

Itachi let him have the couch, and that was fine by him. And for the next week or so, life felt numbing. Naruto definitely noticed, since that was his friend, after all, but a lot of the others didn't seem to. _But what the hell?_

"I went to Karin to talk to her, and she lashed at me," Naruto told him one day when they were having lunch together. "I heard that she'd been missing work a couple times with the claim that she was 'sick'. And I found my time, and she screamed and picked up a pan of hot oil and radish to throw at me. I barely even missed it." He was quivering a little, face pale as a ghost. "My God, Sasuke, I should have brought Hinata with me. Two against one. That bitch cousin is CRAZY. I can't believe I even let her come here!"

_But then she would have targeted your wife along with you, too. _

It was at this moment that his mobile phone had been ringing, and his heart froze with horror when a tearful Mebuki told him that she, her husband and Sarada were at the hospital -

\- because _Sakura_ had been in an accident.

~o~

The last straw had been pushed.

He wanted so much to kill Karin himself. Just break into her apartment, strangle her to death, but his brother warned him not to, because he was going over there to have her brought in for questioning and to give the warning to leave their family alone. And in the morning, the restraining order would be issued.

"But there is a very high chance she could be aggravated to reaching boiling point," Itachi told him. "Given her past record, this could escalate, and it would have been a matter of time before she would have done so much worse than simply assaulting with a motor vehicle."

Which meant he had to lock all doors and windows as soon as he brought his wife home; he was going to be with them to make sure the bitch never came near them again. And he was armed, keeping the gun in a secret place that only Sakura would know about.

To see her in the hospital bed - Kizashi giving him the death glare of the century, having been told why his son-in-law wasn't home, while Mebuki was more than happy to see him but was still tearful and fussy, keeping her granddaughter close to her - broke his heart beyond repair more than when he had to leave her. When he did so, he swore he wouldn't do it again. Not until this business with Karin was settled.

It made things better to know that his brother and his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, were there to take Sarada's statement when she told them both what happened, before she found out her mother hadn't been home on time. She did manage to run to her grandparents' place down the road, saying that she'd been picked up from school by a "woman with red hair who said she was a friend of Daddy's and Uncle Naruto's", and she'd taken her to the autumn festival which was towards the outskirts of Konoha.

When she was done talking, Sasuke gritted his teeth so hard he was sure one or two of them cracked a bit.

Kizashi and Mebuki both held onto each other, Sakura visibly shaken in her bed - and bruised to the face from the car crash, as well as having her right hand bandaged, broken in the wrist - as she had feared her daughter being kidnapped.

Itachi's eyes were on black fire, while Kisame hissed through his teeth that they really needed to see this woman who tried to destroy a family...when it was suddenly clear she wanted to know what it was like to be a mother, which explained why she didn't hurt Sarada in any way.

_She didn't care if Sakura, scared for her own child, had gotten injured. Or me. She took advantage of my absence to experiment with something she didn't have yet. _

But it did NOT make it right.

Sakura looked at him now and weakly smiled, accepting his hand around hers, and whispered that she was glad he was here - for now.

~o~

He heard that there was one hell of a commotion when Karin's apartment was visited, and he was insistent on moving back home to take care of Sarada, with her grandparents coming by while taking turns to see their daughter in the hospital.

Itachi and Kisame went to the apartment along with a few other inferior officers, and that not only meant questioning, but apparently, their presence set her off. She agreed to go with them, but when she had gone to the other room to get her jacket as she "claimed", it turned out to be something else entirely.

She got a knife from the kitchen and ran after the nearest officer she could find, screaming as though being murdered. She lashed out at them, having lost what was left of her mind and knew she was cornered. This was something common in their country, which was often a woman being wronged with no way out. Add that she'd been identified by a young child as being picked up from school without the parents' permission, resulting in the mother getting into a wreck while in a hysteria.

The savage assault was enough to have a warranted search of her apartment, and her handcuffed to be taken to the station overnight.

Itachi called him and told him that they would keep her for now, on bail, and then have the restraining order issued. Though came the warning of aggravation, once more. _"I suggest you keep that gun I gave you in case she stalks you again, little brother."_

Oh, he intended to.

A few days later, before the week ended, he picked Sarada up from school, and they both went to pick Mommy up from the hospital. He couldn't get over the fact his little girl asked him if he was going to stay with them now, believing him when he said her mom would be okay. He was going to keep those promises if he had anything to say about it.

He had to say that things were looking up a little bit, that there was going to be a case against Karin Uzumaki...though things quickly turned somber. He had been told that she was released on bail - Naruto did NOT pay for anything - but while she was in custody, she was evaluated because she'd suffered a _bloody miscarriage. _

_She lost the baby - OUR baby._

A part of him had fallen inside. He recalled her saying this could be her last chance to have a child, despite her age, and he could imagine the devastation she must be going through, how worse things were for her. Now he felt responsible for driving her to this edge. No doubt Itachi was pitying her - both of them.

Sarada had been put down to bed that night, with Miko hopping around in her cage before tiring out herself. So, he was caring for Sakura in the smallest ways possible, keeping his distance while asking her about her arm - mostly getting the reply that it sometimes hurt - and he couldn't resist when she asked for a cup of tea while she soaked in the bath, but had to keep her bandaged arm above water.

The steam covered the mirror and frosted the windows, tightening the air. She wanted it THAT hot. In a way, it made Sasuke stir a little, but he had to push it aside.

It was peaceful and quiet, everything right for the moment - until he noticed something out of place.

_The big carving knife was missing from the collection._

No one had used it upon coming home that he knew of, not even himself. It was then that horror overcame him; _Karin _had been released on bail, but then she strangely vanished, and no one knew where she was. Even the firm had decided to let her go due to finding out about her behavior as of late.

Now he heard the screaming upstairs: "SASUKE!"

Sakura was in trouble. He acted on impulse, dashing for the gun he kept hidden in a console near the staircase, checking to see the bullets still in, and ready to remove the safety when he reached the target. _If you're going to kill my wife, think again. _

And there they were in the bathroom, while the water was splashing from the tub after a toss here and there, the mirror and window steamed, ending with Sakura scrambling to get away from the one with a knife..._Karin in a white dress, the side torn with blood staining. She'd cut her own thigh. _It disgusted him to know that a human being could jump off the edge because of a mistake, and the fact that what should have been casual had shattered their worlds. There were no more innocent moments, like in the old days.

"Karin," he bellowed, raising the gun, "get the hell away from my wife, or I'll kill you!"

She stopped momentarily, looking up at him with stunned shock in her eyes, before they morphed into a demonic rage along with her twisted face. Her shriek pierced his eardrums as she brandished the knife covered in her own blood - Sakura appeared to be unharmed, for now - and used this moment to have a weak hand against him.

"You stupid, selfish bastard - you and your happy little family...are the reason I _lost our baby!_"

He wasted no time firing a shot, after shouting at his wife to get away, just as the bloodied knife was stabbed into the bathroom floor in an attempt to get her in the leg or somewhere.

Before that, it was enjoyable to see her kicked in the face by Sakura, maybe knocking a tooth or two out.

~o~

He didn't kill Karin, just grazed her shoulder and put her in so much pain she couldn't get up. He didn't want her dead - yet - because she deserved proper punishment.

_If she comes near us again, against the restraining order, then I'm ready to shoot her in defense. _

She was apprehended as soon as his brother and the rest of the police came to the house. She was given medical treatment for the bullet area, while under strict supervision. And it was also mandated that she see a psychologist, for an attempt to diagnose what was really wrong with her. Delusional disorder was most likely, because it had been difficult for Kusa therapists to do this job, for some reason.

With her criminal record brought to the court, even Sarada's brief testimony - Sasuke was proud she was stronger than he thought she'd be, but hoped she would forgive and forget as she got older - and Naruto's side, since he was the last of her family, she was viewed as a real danger. Add in her assault on police officers who tried to question her, and her break-in to attempt to kill Sakura Uchiha while her husband and child were home.

When Sakura took the stand, she just took over the trial. She looked right at Karin, whose eyes were red along with her cheeks, shining with tears, and didn't give her the benefit of seeing how afraid she was.

"You intruded into our family's lives, you instilled fear because of misguided feelings for my husband who regrets what he did - you're just a criminal."

Now was Sasuke's turn, and he answered that he was the cause of this, when he should have refused her advances and listened to his best friend. He should have just gone a different way, and the outcome never would have happened. He mustered the courage to look at Karin during his testimony, then speaking of the baby, having wondered at first if it really had been his - when his conscience knew she told the truth - and answered that he had nothing to do with her decision on keeping it. She could have had an abortion and their troubles spared, but this impacted their lives.

He struggled to not look at his wife when he admitted to all of this. He had been more selfish, and thought perhaps he should be answering to this, but Karin was the one who went crazy. The evidence was stacked high against her.

The final verdict was that she was mentally ill, and would have to spend her time serving in the psych ward, serve a year's time and two more years of probation. And the restraining order against her by the Uchiha family was issued.

_I just hope this is the last time, and I won't have to shoot her as the final resort. They say stalkers never really go away and are NEVER really cured. Chances are very small._

She was given the chance to be helped by Naruto and his family as soon as she was done with her time, but as to her future, it was certain that she would never do better than she was now. No doubt that any editing companies would be wary of having someone like her in their ranks. But that was not Sasuke's problem.

Which left him with his family, as to what to do about what he nearly did to his marriage. And he expected Sakura's wish on having time apart again when the trial was over, so that he could have counseling on his own, and when it was certain he understood the depth of his actions - partly being because of his damned genes from his father - she would join him in marriage counseling. He was still allowed to see Sarada, which was more than enough.

Naruto gladly slapped him on the back and told him he'd better really learn from his mistakes, and Itachi was no different when he said that if he didn't want to be like their father, then he would stop calling Sasuke foolish.

With more time and this effort to make, they were going to be a real family again, and he would never make the mistake he did with Karin again as long as he lived. Just have him and Sakura separate only for him to fantasize her only, even if it died down for a little bit.

**The challenge with this story was to make it similar yet different from the movie, so there were reasons I had the couple separated at the end but would work on getting back together. I was inspired by "A Madea Family Funeral", the last of the Madea movies. Particularly when a married couple separated after the husband cheated on his wife for no real reason, other than the fact he had been just like his father. **

**Sakura's testimony on Karin was based off of Catherine Zeta-Jones' words to stalker Dawnette Knight: "You will never be famous. You will never be infamous. You are just a criminal."**

**I did say review when you were done, so I'll say it again: lots o lovin' detail. :D**


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